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Chipotle Chicken Skewers with Elote Slaw

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Chipotle Chicken Skewers with Elote Slaw

The easiest marinated Mexican chicken grilled up and served over the best salty creamy street corn slaw: these  Chipotle Chicken Skewers with Elote Slaw are the best fresh meal!

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Elote, street corn, esquites — there are so many variations of the classic cotija mayo Mexican corn dish. And, let me tell you, I absolutely love them all. I pretty much order this type of starter every time I see it on a menu. I even have a Super Simple Mexican Corn Dip recipe that is my own healthier take on the classic dip style. Needless to say, I just had to make another recipe incorporating these flavors. The result? These Chipotle Chicken Skewers with Elote Slaw — aka my new favorite summer dinner.

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The breakdown…

This Chipotle Chicken Skewers with Elote Slaw is truly the best make ahead dinner. Want to marinade the chicken ahead of time? It will last for a day or two before you have to cook things up. Feel like making your skewers ahead of time (make for meal prep??) and reheating? That would be delicious. Or maybe you want to get the slaw going before serving it to your guests. The cabbage makes things hold up incredibly well. Really, this is one of the best entertaining recipes.

To start things off, you want to get that chicken marinade going. I opt to use both yogurt and a bit of oil to bring moistness into the chicken, as chicken breasts are inherently very dry. With that, you’ll want to go in with all the flavor from some chipotle chili powder, cumin, honey, salt, and tomato paste. There’s spice, sweetness, saltiness, and a good bit of acid from the tomato paste. Oh, and since no aggressive acid like vinegar or citrus is thrown into the mix, the chicken can marinate for a long time without getting too spongy. Up to 1-2 days in the fridge, to be exact!

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the chicken method…

Once your chicken has marinated, you want to string everything onto a few skewers and get to cooking! I usually use wooden skewers. Metal skewers also work, though. If you are using wooden skewers, make sure you soak them in water for about 30 minutes ahead of time to prevent them from burning or splintering on the stove. Then, throw enough chicken to take up about ½ of the stick onto each skewer. 3-4 pieces will usually work for a small skewer. Then, on either a greased grill pan or cast iron skillet, go ahead and cook everything over medium-high heat. After just a few minutes on each side… voila! Your skewers are done!

While the skewers in this Chipotle Chicken Skewers with Elote Slaw recipe are delicious by themself, what really jazzed up this recipe is that street corn inspired slaw. To get things going, you have to make the creamy dressing that will coat your veggies and cheese. With a base of Greek yogurt or mayo, a bit of a bite from some tahini or sour cream (different flavors — both delicious), some acid from a bit of lime, and a kick from the cilantro and jalapeño, this dressing is seriously an all time fav. It’s truly one of my end all be alls for any Mexican style dish. 

Chipotle Chicken Skewers with Elote Slaw

all the fixings…

But, when you mix it up with some corn, cabbage, scallions, sweet pickled red onions, and cotija? The result is magical. You have a heartiness from the cabbage, a sweetness from the corn, and a bite from the scallions. Everything is truly perfection. Oh, and you can seriously use any type of corn you want. This recipe calls for raw corn, as I love it in the summer. Really, though, you could grill your corn, char it up on a skillet, or even boil it. You could also char up some frozen corn if you don’t have access to fresh corn on the cob. In any case, you will want to cut it off the cob before tossing it into the slaw, though. 

Chipotle Chicken Skewers with Elote Slaw

how to serve it up…

Mix everything up and get to serving! Start off with a bed of some of that slaw and then top things off with some warm chicken skewers… and just like that — dinner is served! I love to serve this up when I’m in need of making things ahead of time. That’s why this Chipotle Chicken Skewers with Elote Slaw recipe is great for entertaining or meal prep. That being said, I also just love this one for a fresh summer dinner! Maybe with some Mexican style rice, some beans, or some grilled zucchini on the side? The possibilities are endless. Oh, and the leftovers and divine… so make extra!! 

I hope you love these Chipotle Chicken Skewers with Elote Slaw as much as I do! Let me know what you think in the comments below:))

Chipotle Chicken Skewers with Elote Slaw

Recipe by Annie PatrickCourse: Main CourseCuisine: American, Mexican, FusionDifficulty: Easy
Servings

6

servings
Prep time

24

minutes
Cooking time

10

minutes
Total time

35

minutes

The easiest marinated Mexican chicken grilled up and served over the best salty creamy street corn slaw: these Chipotle Chicken Skewers with Elote Slaw are the best fresh meal!

Ingredients

  • chipotle chicken marinade
  • 2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced into 1 inch cubes

  • 1 cup plain Greek yogurt

  • 2 tbsp oil

  • 2 tbsp tomato paste

  • 2 tbsp honey or sugar

  • 1 tbsp chipotle Chile powder

  • 1 tsp ground cumin

  • 1 tsp salt

  • elote slaw:
  • 2 cloves garlic

  • 1 small jalapeño (seeds removed for less spice)

  • ¼ + ½ cup cilantro

  • 1 lime, juiced

  • ¾ cup plain Greek yogurt or mayonnaise (or a mix of the two)

  • ¼ cup water

  • 1 tsp chipotle chili powder

  • 1 tbsp tahini or sour cream

  • 1 tbsp honey

  • A pinch of salt, to taste

  • 3 ears corn, sliced off of the cob*

  • 3 cups purple cabbage, thinly sliced

  • 1 large bunch scallions, thinly sliced

  • ½ cup sweet pickled onions

  • ⅔ cup Cotija cheese (or feta), crumbled

  • Optional: diced avocado

Instructions

  • In a freezer bag or medium sized dish, combine the diced chicken with the remainder of the marinade ingredients. Cover and place in the fridge to marinate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 24 hours.
  • In a blender or food processor, mix the garlic, jalapeño, ¼ cup of the cilantro, yogurt or mayo, water, chili powder, salt, tahini or sour cream, and honey until smooth. In a large bowl, toss with the remainder of the elote slaw ingredients.
  • When the chicken is done marinating, string 3-4 pieces onto a skewer. Heat a well greased grill pan or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, place your skewers onto the pan and sear for 3-4 minutes on each side, or until the chicken is cooked through and slightly charred.
  • Serve your chicken skewers over a bed of the slaw. Enjoy!

Notes

  • I usually use wooden skewers. Metal skewers also work, though. If you are using wooden skewers, make sure you soak them in water for about 30 minutes ahead of time to prevent them from burning or splintering on the stove. 
  • This recipe calls for raw corn, as I love it in the summer. Really, though, you could grill your corn, char it up on a skillet, or even boil it. You could also char up some frozen corn if you don’t have access to fresh corn on the cob. In any case, you will want to cut it off the cob before tossing it into the slaw, though. 
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